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I was born on Father's Day way back when. That Sunday the hospital was giving a new hat to the father of the first baby born. Maybe it was a Dobbs Sheffield hat or a Cavanagh Old Ivy hat, a $15 hat according to a magazine advertisement from that year. Whichever it was, I guess it didn't matter. I was the second baby born that day. Missed that hat by about 20 minutes, I'm told. My dad was and still is a farmer. He would get more use out of a straw hat, anyway.
Today is also the day I have finally decided that I need to get started on this blog. I guess this is another milestone.
Sunday is the 57th annual family reunion of my father's family. His parents had 12 children who lived to adulthood, with birthdates from 1912 to 1934, and those who are still here come to the family reunion each year. My dad is the youngest son and the last son still with us. He has 3 younger sisters still here. All of my aunts and uncles are familiar to me, as they and their families always came together in summer for the family reunion.
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| First Reunion - 6 boys and 6 girls - Are we ready for the picture? |
So what about those family reunions? They started in 1957 at a park, and we have always had them outside, rain or shine, hot or cold on the same Sunday in June. Sometimes there was too much rain. If the pavilion we reserved was flooded, we moved to a different one. We had wooden signs that directed out of town families to our location, even though it was the same year after year.
You probably know how it goes. It is a potluck. We bring a dish or dishes to share and our own table service. (That means plates, cups and silverware for those who don't know.) I remember way back when we even washed our dishes after the noon meal, so we had clean plates for the late afternoon watermelon and ice cream. Everybody had a nice picnic basket and a really good cooler, usually with homemade block ice. We started the meal with a prayer, sometimes by Uncle Chuck, or by cousin Virgil or my dad. The "committee" supplied drinks, lemonade, tea and soda pop. They also made sure we had cold watermelon, ice cream and cones.
Boy, could these women cook! Maybe you all have memories like mine: Aunt Mary's fried chicken and pies, Aunt Norma's beef and noodles, Aunt Doris's bean bake and my mom's Cherry Delight, just to name a few. My sisters and I really wanted that beef and noodles recipe. We decided that we should organize a family cookbook with all those favorite recipes. It was a 10-year project by the time we got it done (Thanks, Judy!), but there IS a beef and noodles recipe included. (Thanks, Aunt Norma!) The book includes pictures, birthdays, wedding anniversaries and the story of my grandparents. That book is truly a treasure, and I use recipes in it all the time, too.
After the meal, there is a family meeting. The main business used to be finding someone who would serve as officers, Presidents, Vice Presidents and Secretary/Treasurer. We had a Family Historian and a Recreation Chair. One year my sister Brenda was an officer, so the next year I was nominated. You served for 3 years, moving from Secretary/Treasurer to VP to President. Now we have a permanent committee, so we don't have to talk anyone into a job they aren't sure about. Anyone is welcomed to join the committee. During the meeting, we list marriages, births and deaths of family members and share accomplishments big and small. The meeting ends with gifts to the youngest child, oldest woman, oldest man, and the family who traveled the farthest distance.
The kids usually went to the swimming pool when I was a kid. What a great time! My mom went swimming with us, too. Older kids and young adults played volleyball. Some men played softball, especially when Uncle Joe was still here. The farmers in the family talked about the weather and crops, but it was hard for the young ones like my brother, Dan to get in that conversation. For several years, my sister Patti and helpers organized children's games. As we have aged, we spend more time visiting, looking at old pictures and watching the little ones play.
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| Yes, Kick the Shoe is a real game. |
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| Digging for coins in icy water is the best game on a hot day. |
Everyone donates what they want to help cover the expenses of the "committee." They used to call this "dues," and each family paid $1.00. It takes more now. We make a donation each year to the care fund for the Mt. Hope Cemetery in Cabery, Illinois, where the parents and grandparents of the 12 children are buried. My family visits this cemetery each year. (a post for another day)
We would go home totally tired, but looking forward to next year. We used to see other families having reunions at the parks. You don't see that much anymore. It's too bad. A family reunion is one of the best ways to engage the generations. My dad's parents had died before the reunion started, but I think they would be proud to see their children getting together. I'm proud we've been doing that for 57 years.
So happy birthday to me and hats off to my family!
(Oh, in case you want to see that hat, today, you can buy that original 5 x 13 inch magazine ad on eBay for $20, delivered.)
